Maccarone



F. MACCARONE CUSHION INSOLE Feb. 14, 1956 Filed Feb. 15, 1955 INVENTOR. FRED MACCARONE BY W %m2dmz ATTORNEYS CUSHION INSOLE Fred Maccarone, Brooklyn, N. Y.

Application February 15, 1955, Serial No. 488,214

4 Claims. (CI. 3628) This invention comprises a novel insole of improved construction, and provides an insole formed with a firmly secured smoothly conformed cushion pad in the ball region.

Numerous constructions providing a cushion in the insole of a shoe have been developed in the past with varying degrees of commercial success. The principal object of these constructions has been generally to provide a comfortable and durable cushioned section at minimum expense and without so seriously weakening the insole as to impair its effectiveness as the strength or anchor member for securing the overlasted margins of the upper.

The insole of this invention is conveniently formed from an insole blank in which a central, ultimately padded, section is defined by cuts having edges formed to anchor and conceal the edges of an overlying cushion pad. The cushion pad is thus firmly secured to the insole, yet without presenting an abrupt edge or ridge marking its extremity and constituting a source of discomfort. strong for use in conventional shoemaking.

The cushion insole of this invention consists in general of an insole blank having slits cut in its forepart to define opposed rand sections extending along opposite side margins and a complementary center plug section joined at its rear end, and preferably also at its foreward end, to the ends of the rand sections. The cuts are made to form cooperating overlapping bevelled edges, and the cushion pad is positioned overlying the central plug with its edges engaged between the edges of the plug and rand sections. Stitching or other securing means is used to hold the cushion pad and insole blank in unitary assembled relation.

A preferred embodiment of this invention, selected for illustrative purposes, is described below and shown in the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the foreward section of an insole blank cut to accommodate the cushion pad;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the insole blank shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged section taken at 33 of Fig. 1 showing the cooperating overlapping bevelled edges of the rand and plug sections;

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the cushion insole comprising both the insole blank and the cushion;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the cushion alone (reduced scale);

Fig. 6 is an enlarged section at 66 of Fig. 4 showing the cushion secured at its edges between the bevelled overlapping edges of the rand and plug sections; and

Fig. 7 is a longitudinal section at 77 of Fig. 4 showing the securing of the foreward and rear ends of the cushion to the insole blank.

The insole blank 10 is of conventional construction, consisting, for instance, of split leather reinforced in the heel and shank sections with a fiber backer 12. Slits 14-14 located inwardly from and generally paralleling The construction is, in addition, adequately the side edges of the forepart, and cut at a sharp angle to the plane of the blank, define a pair of opposed rand sections 16-46, and a complementary plug section 18 secured at its unsevered forward and rear ends to the forward and rear ends of the rand sections. By forming cuts 14 at an angle overlapping complementary edges between the plug and rand sections are provided.

The cushion pad 20, of for instance, sponge rubber or other soft resilient material, is formed generally to overlie the plug section with its opposite side edges engaged within the cuts 14, and with a front tab 22 extending forward between the front ends of the two cuts 14. When assembled, the cushion pad 20 is secured in place by stitching 24 running along its edge, and preferably engaging the overlapping bevelled edges of cuts 14 between the rand sections 16 and plug section 18 to secure them together with the pad 20 firmly engaged between them. After the stitches have been laid, the forward end of the tab 22 is conveniently cut off as suggested in Fig. 7.

The cushion insole described above will be seen to be of inexpensive yet durable and strong construction such that it may be used to anchor the overlasted margins of the upper in conventional shoemaking. The unitary construction, in addition, makes the incorporation of an insole cushion far easier than it is in shoe constructions employing a separate cushion, and in addition, all problems of positioning the cushion and securing it in place are eliminated. The edges of the cushion pad, being engaged within the cuts 14 are out of contact with the foot, and the cushioned region overlying the plug 18 falls away gradually so as not to form an uncomfortably sharp or abrupt ridge.

Although this invention has been described in detail with reference to its preferred embodiment, an appreciation of its construction and particular advantages will bring obvious modifications to the mind of those skilled in the art, and it is contemplated that such modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Having thus disclosed my invention and described in detail a preferred embodiment thereof, I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. A cushion insole comprising an insole blank having its forepart formed with opposed rand sections extending along opposite side margins and a complementary center plug section joined at its rear end to the rand sections and permanently retained in the insole, and a cushion pad overlying the center plug section and engaged at its edge between the edges of the plug section and rand sections.

2. A cushion insole comprising an insole blank having its forepart formed with opposed rand sections extending along opposite side margins and a complementary center plug section between said rand sections and permanently retained in the insole, the edges of the rand sections and plug section being bevelled and complementary, a cushion pad overlying the plug section and engaged at its edges between the edges of the plug section and rand section, and stitches between the inner edges of the rand sections and the edges of the pad.

3. A cushion insole comprising an insole blank having its forepart formed with opposed rand sections extending along opposite side margins and a complementary center plug section joined at its rear end to the rand sections, the edges of the rand sections and plug section being bevelled, overlapping and complementary, a cushion pad overlying the plug section and engaged at its edges between the edges of the plug section and rand sections, and stitches joining the overlapping bevelled edges of the rand sections and plug section with the edge of the cushion pad between them.

4. A cushion insole comprising an insole blank having its forepart formed with opposed rand sections extending along opposite side margins and a complementary center plug section joined at its forward end and at its rear end to the ends of the rand sections, the edges of the rand sections and plug section being bevelled, overlapping and complementary, a cushion pad overlying the plug section and engaged at opposite edges between the edges of the plug section and rand sections, and means securing the opposite edges of the pad to the rand sections.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Silver June 15, 1937 Farrington Jan. 17, 1939 Damon Jan. 31, 1939 Block Nov. 5, 1940 Mann Feb. 24, 1942 Margolin Jan. 19, 1943 

